


Under Wraps

by merrykidgemas



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Pre-Garrison AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-01-11 23:04:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18433955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merrykidgemas/pseuds/merrykidgemas
Summary: Winter break is right around the corner! People are praying for Christmas miracles or not expecting one at all. A mistake for Katie, who’ll soon see not all gifts can be wrapped under paper and bows.[Theme Song: Baby Don't Cry -  Daesung]





	1. "Hey Holt!"

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote the first part for Kidgemas but watch me drag this on for years.

Soft lights, the scent of Christmas dinner, and family around the fireplace. It seemed as if Katie could have stayed in that world forever… but her alarm had to go off right at the part where she was about to receive her present. She groggily lifted the covers and and turned off the ringing phone, a routine she knew all too well. Christmas break was so close she could taste it.

It didn’t take long to sift through her wardrobe to get dressed then tying her hair into her signature side pony-tail. Just as Katie was putting the last few things into her backpack, she heard her mother knock at the frame of her door and hummed for the woman to come in.

Colleen smiled as she slightly fixed her daughter’s bangs, “Almost ready?”

“Pretty much.” Zipping her backpack, she gave it a small pat. “What’s breakfast?”

“Cold if you don’t come down soon,” she chuckled making Katie roll her eyes. Quippy remarks were a norm in her household but it regularly brought a few laughs here and there. Both started their journey downstairs into the dining table where her mother continued the chatter. “But there is something I do want to tell you. You know that Shiro is coming over today right?”

“Mhm and don’t worry about the decorations. I’ll handle them after school,” Katie assured her as she made herself comfortable on the seat and picked up a fork. Usually the decorations would wait till relatives announced that they were coming over but the preparation had begun to start at an earlier date ever since Matt moved into the dorms, leaving Katie to make all the festive decisions but a little more difficulty with top shelf items.

“Well Shiro has invited one of his friends, a boy around your age-”

Katie’s eye’s widened in surprise, mouth mid-munch, and let out a sound of confusion only a mother could decipher.

Colleen only playfully scolded her without even missing a beat. “Chew with your mouth closed dear. As I was saying, I told Shiro he could tell the young man to wait for you outside after school so you didn’t need to take the bus this time-”

Her mind started racing. One memory surfaced of a normal luncheon where the young cadet was talking about a boy stealing his vehicle during one of his school visits. Something about…

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Crazy hover bike kid???”

It was the silent nickname both her brother and her had coined after hearing the stories of mishaps from their friend. Sure, she has gotten in trouble for being rash before, but not to the point where she was a needle point away from death itself.

The expression her mother gave her was a true look of disapproval. “Now that wasn’t very nice of you. He’s just a misunderstood boy so you shouldn’t be so quick to judge him especially if you haven’t met him.”

Katie wasn’t really sure she wanted to at all but she kept quiet instead and continued to chew as to not get anymore disapproving looks from her mother. The situation posed a few problems. Firstly, people would question as to why someone who wasn’t from her school was waiting for her outside. It wasn’t like she needed any other attention drawn to her; being known as a brainiac was enough. Secondly, from what she can gather from those stories she heard from Shiro, this boy meant bad company.

She’d probably be run over by his hover bike.

But there was no argument and the plans were already made. More like Katie was to tired to bargain with her mother that morning since time was short. School that day was a little less boring than usual. Katie spent empty moments during classes and breaks conjuring up ideas of what the mystery boy looked like through the process of elimination and a little too much imagination. All that the girl knew was that he was younger than her brother. He wasn’t in middle school so that must meant he went to the neighboring high school.

Somehow the image of a gangster-like senior popped into her head, complete with piercings and tattoos, definitely someone who wouldn’t mind running civilians over with a hover-bike. Katie shuddered at the thought and tried to shake it away to concentrate on what the teacher was saying.

As the day progressed, the more appealing escaping through the play field was. It was one thing that she had no idea who this person was but she had no idea what to do, how to act, or even talk. If there was one thing Katie couldn’t stand, it was awkward silences. It was like the feeling of dancing but the constant fear of stepping on someone’s toes. The final bell rang and soon the sound of chairs screeching back and the chatter of students began flooding out the voice of the teacher, all eager to go home after a long day.

Except Katie.

She did not want to even go out of the classroom much less the front gate. Slinging the backpack over her shoulder, the girl got up from her chair with a sigh. She might as well get this over with. Before long, Katie finally reached the front doors of the school and surveyed the grounds of the campus. Only some students were still hanging around with no stranger in sight. Walking into the courtyard, she noticed a small crowd outside right next to the gate.

“What’s wrong?” Katie turned to ask Rachel, a girl in her Geo class who regularly asked for her to help with math problems. Quite the gossip queen so no wonder she was with the growing crowd. If anyone needed to know anything about anyone, she was the one. To her surprise Rachel gave her a girlish giggle, her perfectly manicured nails meeting her pink lips, that sent a cold shiver down her spine. “There’s a super cute guy from the high school and he started waiting out here a minute ago. I wonder who he’s waiting for?”

So much for being discreet like she planned.

Sure enough, after Katie finally pushed her way through the crowd without causing too much dispute, she saw a boy leaning next to his moped. He was very different from the description inside her head. In fact he was dressed quite plainly, black shirt under a red and white hoodie and some khaki pants with a pair of goggles sitting on his tousled raven hair, both his hands were stuffed into his pockets as he wore a blank expression on his face.

That is when he spotted Katie in the crowd of students and gave her a shy wave which revealed his finger-less gloves. Katie could practically hear Rachel swoon. His expression changed from a more stoic one to a confused frown when she didn’t respond so she started to panic. If she walked over then she would made it clear to Rachel that she knew that person and knowing that girl she would cause a bigger commotion. Some people were just a little too invested in other people’s relationships.

But she couldn’t just not walk over! After all he did take the time to wait for her outside even if it was just for a few minutes and she didn’t at all agree to do this on the fly.

Taking one last glance at Rachel and letting out a shaky breath, Katie tentatively took a step forward while tightly grasping on to the straps of her backpack. Seeing that she was walking towards him, the boy went to grab a helmet.

Not even a few seconds after crossing the street, she heard one thing she had dread would happen.

“Hey Holt! Is that your boyfriend?”

Like the boy, she froze; shock evident on their faces. And of course, to her utmost agony, the announcement was followed by a chorus of shouts and hoots even a few snickers. Katie could only look away in shame but not before giving a look of apology at him. He didn’t deserve it. If anything, this was probably last minute news to him just like it was to her. Thinking back, she felt selfish for only worrying about her self throughout the day. She thought the taunting wouldn’t end until a voice interrupted the mob of students.

“Look,” almost immediately the boy’s voice deepened into a growl, his eyes not sparing a single drop of mercy. “I don’t care if you think I’m a liar but I’m only here because of a favor. Now drop it.” And as if that wasn’t enough, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the moped where she was basically tossed onto as he placed not-so-gently the helmet on her head, leaving seconds for Katie to realize she should grab onto him before he sped off.

She was not going to survive school tomorrow.


	2. Hold On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what you get with two awkward teens on a moped. A disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo you're still reading this? Nice. But be warned; I have no idea where I'm going with this.

After a good distance was made from the school gate and her clamoring classmates, Katie felt the moped slow down a bit and swallowed the lump in her throat. She racked her brain for something to say, noting the air of discomfort that was growing.

“Thank you… for earlier,” she managed to utter just loud enough for him to hear over the engine. “You shouldn’t have gone through all that trouble, I’m so-”

“Don’t apologize for things that aren’t your fault,” he answered curtly, keeping his eyes on the road though the way his grip on the handles tightened didn’t go unnoticed by Katie. She still felt sorry but decided to let it go; no need to make things even more awkward between them. 

She tilted her head just a fraction enough to see his face clearer, determined to at least get an introduction across. “By the way, my name’s Katie. What’s yours?”

“Keith. And I already know your name.”

“You do?” That was a surprise. How come her mom didn’t bother to tell her beforehand? Katie quickly figured that Shiro may have mentioned her name once or twice to him, all the while oblivious to the small tinge of pink that was growing on his cheek.

Keith cleared his throat as he adjusted his posture, taking note of the fact that the girl was still hanging onto his jacket. “Yeah, Shiro told me.” He thought back to yesterday when he got a text from his friend. Thinking back it was a strange conversation especially when Shiro didn’t say much except that he should wait outside of the middle school for Katie which was stupid because he had no idea what she looked like. Instead of a picture or a simple description, all Keith got was the “read” sign.

Frankly, he half expected her not to show up. It wasn’t like he was going to enter the school and start calling out her name just to be caught by authorities. What if she had after school activities? He had somewhat of a notorious reputation and if she was anything of a goodie-two-shoes like James, she’d probably thought she was too good for him. When the crowd started to gather commenting his appearance and ride, he really hoped it wasn’t the girl with sparkly nails that was giving him goo-goo eyes that he was supposed to spend the rest of the day with.

It was when a familiar face popped up from the crowd. It was probably the hair that gave it away but the girl did look an awful lot like her older brother. Before he could register it, Keith gave her a small wave. That seemed to surprise her but she didn’t immediately make a move despite all eyes were on him and she was hidden in between the rows of people.

Keith understood; even he wouldn’t want to be caught up in a crowd like that. It was true he wasn’t really a people person but he was surprisingly more perceptive than what his peers thought. That’s why he slightly panicked when Katie, who finally decided to might as well get things over with, started her journey across the street. Whoever came up with this idea, Keith had some questions for them.

“Hey um,” Katie’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He waited for her to continue but since she stayed quiet, Keith figured she was waiting for him to answer so he nodded for her to speak. “Do you know the way back to my house?”

Really, Shiro? All this for what, a casserole?

Katie heard a groan followed by a sigh. Apparently not. “It’s not far. You know the repair place at the corner right? It’s a right then a left after.” She felt the vehicle accelerate after the directions were given and smiled to her self. After relaxing, Katie could get a clearer view of the usual bus route back home whereas a window pane would be in between her and the outside world. The wind brushing past her face and leaning side to side on every turn, it felt nice. She couldn’t completely relax though. Her arms were still stiffly around the waist of her escort, awkwardly placed and ever-so-gently holding onto the red jacket. She might as well have been just hovering her arms around him because her muscles were starting to ache.

Suddenly the whole vehicle jerked up and shook, forcing Katie to grab on tighter to whatever was closest and squeezed her eyes shut. The bumpy road lasted a couple small blocks and during those few meters she felt as if she was clinging for her dear life lest she fall from the speeding moped. That was way too close to the ground.

It didn’t seem to affect Keith much as he still looked ahead without batting an eye, contrast to her rather disheveled appearance. Before long, they were on a familiar street that brought a smile to Katie’s face. Finally home. Practically skipping, Katie headed towards the front door with keys in hand and Keith trailing close behind after parking. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when Keith stepped through the door until a blur zipped right past him and knocked Katie onto the floor. “Katie!?”

Instead of cries for help, gales of laughter bubbled from her lips. “Bae-Bae stop! Yes I missed you too girl!” Right on top of the petite girl was a creature of medium size, tail wagging back and forth amiably and slobbering her owner’s face with affectionate kisses. Keith let his hands fall back to his sides, a little speechless but nonetheless glad that fists weren’t needed.

“So is this normal?” he crouched down near the two and stared curiously at the dog who had now turned her attention to their young guest.

Katie sprung up and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Right! I forgot to tell you. Bae-Bae meet Keith. Keith meet Bae-Bae. Now shake hands.”

“You introduce her like she’s part of the family,” Keith commented as he held out a hand for Bae-Bae’s paw while trying to hide a small smile.

“That’s because she is! Isn’t that right girl?” The dog barked in agreement, tail still wagging like when they just came in.

For once Keith found the situation to be somewhat amusing. The Katie he first met was quiet, someone who took two minutes to start walking across the street. Now as all three sat on the tile floor, he watched her cooing at her pet like if she was some sort of infant without a care in the world. It was sort of… adorable– Wait just a second.

He did not just think that thought, did he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual REST YOUR EYES FROM THE SCREEN AND DRINK WATER
> 
> Thanks babs 💕🍉
> 
> Also this isn't really a slow burn fic but they both don't fall this fast either. It's just that it's not everyday Keith sees cuteness and it's kinda like the meme "'I've only had Katie for half a day but if anything happened to her I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.''


	3. Worthy Partner

"A little more up?"

Keith furrowed his brows but followed the instruction given to him anyway and lifted the sparkly tinsel higher. He only started climbing down the ladder after a smile appeared on Katie's face, a sure sign of satisfaction. 

After petting Bae-Bae a little more, the girl wasted no time dragging Keith to the basement. Past the Holts' laboratory and rooms with strange glowing lights that spilled out from the cracks of closed doors, they found the boxes labeled "decorations" on all sides and carried them up. He proved himself to be quite useful, as Katie told him (quite begrudgingly) she wasn't exactly capable of reaching some parts of the house with just a ladder because of her height and "cursed short arms". Mrs. Holt didn't exactly approve of the idea of using platform shoes on rickety ladders. 

Soon the house and the tree in the living room was covered with more shimmer and glimmer than Keith thought he could ever see in one lifetime. Every corner of the house glittered. Katie ushered the boy into the kitchen with Bae-Bae following behind them and grabbed two popsicles from the freezer, tossing one towards him which he caught with his left hand. Katie looked at him with surprise. "You're left-handed?"

"Ambidextrous, actually," he answered back casually as he peeled the wrapped off the treat to reveal to what he deduced was a watermelon flavored popsicle, "Oh, and thanks." The past hour, filled with minor squabbles about ornament placing and somewhat snarky but friendly banter, had helped the both of them get rid of the awkwardness from earlier that day. Now the two of them sat at the kitchen island eating in comfortable silence. 

"Wait, I've got an idea!" Katie scooted off her stool and ran up the stairs, leaving Keith to stare in confusion at the dog underneath them who returned the look as well. After a few minutes of shuffling, she bounded down the stairs and ran up to him. She held up a case with anime graphics up to his face, giving him a very clear view of the cover. "Killerbot Phantasm I: Journey to the depths of the Demonsphere?"

Katie gave him an enthusiastic nod. "I've been looking for a worthy partner ever since Matt left and my parents are a bit busy so it's been a while since I've played it."

He turned away a bit sheepishly, "Well tough luck. I've never really played video games before." Not that he had the consoles to play anyway. He never really had the home to play in either...

But before Keith could put the popsicle back into his mouth, Katie led him by the arm into the living room with a confident grin. "Don't worry, you have me to guide you, young sapling. You'll be a pro in no time!" 

Young sapling?

She sat him down on the couch, a little like how he sat her on his moped, and handed him a controller. After setting up the game, she sunk down into the cushions next to him as she gave tips and directions after he picked his hero of choice. The sword guy looked pretty cool. Katie chose a mage, saying that it was good support. Like with most things, he caught on quickly and soon they were rejoicing after beating the level 5 demon and high-fived each other.

"Wow, that was actually-"

"Pretty fun right?" she finished his sentence, eyes sparkling.

He couldn't help but laugh at her lively expression. Keith was about to ask if they could play another round when they heard the front door unlock.

"Katie?" The two walked to the front door where Mrs. Holt was carrying bags of groceries in her arms and cooing at Bae-Bae. When she looked up and spotted Keith she smiled. "Welcome Keith. I see you've helped with decorations. There is now way that Katie would've have reach that part of the wall."

Keith watch Mrs. Holt giggle as her daughter groaned at the comment and stormed off to put the groceries on the counter. "Uh, yeah. Thank you for having me over Mrs. Holt," he replied, feeling a bit awkward meeting someone new again. Well if she was Katie's mom, she couldn't be that bad he thought. He followed her into the kitchen where Katie was putting away groceries.

Mrs. Holt laughed again. "Katie you usually don't put away groceries unless I ask you to," she grinned mischievously. Katie saw that her mother's eyes glanced at Keith, who looked as confused as she was. The gears turned in her head, and because she was Katie, it soon clicked. Was she implying that she was only acting like a good daughter in front of guests?? The temerity! Not like she can really win against her mother's teasing this time around. Instead of replying to her remark, Katie just gave a small pout and returned to stuffing the celery into the fridge.

Keith sputtered, no actual words coming out from his mouth. He quickly turned around from the two and covered his mouth. He never thought such a reaction would ever come from him. It was just Katie's pouting face had caught him... so off guard? It was small and it only lasted a second but it was so painfully adorable that it send heat rushing to his face. What on earth was happening to him? "S-sorry," he coughed out, "dust from the uh- decorations."

"Speaking of decorations, you guys did a really nice job! If you're done, you can help me make dinner," Mrs. Holt said as she placed the last of the groceries into the cupboard.

At this, Katie jumped up and down excitedly. "Are you going to make your casserole?" When the woman nodded, she did a fist pump in the air and turned to Keith who was giving her a look of confusion. "Prepare yourself to taste the world's most mouth-watering scrumptious casserole you've ever tasted in this part of the galaxy."

"I'll take you word for it," he snorted playfully. 

"I would never steer you wrong!" she threw her hands into the air as he laughed at her again.

Mrs. Holt looked at them from the other side of the kitchen and smiled at the two chattering. Maybe this time Katie had really found a new friend. Her eyes saddened at the thought of the past Katie crying in her arms after school but quickly concealed it and went back to washing vegetables. "I thought you kids were going to help me make 'the world's most mouth-watering scrumptious casserole you've ever tasted in this part of the galaxy'," she asked, pretending to be impatient as she crossed her arms.

"On it!" Katie opened a small cabinet and handed an apron to her mom. She put one on herself and Keith lowered his head so she put another one on him. "Ooh Chef Kogane in the kitchen," she teased as they began tying their aprons up. He laughed again, marveling at how easy it was for this girl to make him feel like everything was alright despite they've only known each other for a few hours. The atmosphere had never felt so cozy for him before. It felt a little strange of course, but he didn't feel like a stranger.

He felt oddly at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've kept you guys waiting and for that I'm very sorry! I'll try to at least have a chapter up each month if I can so please bear with me. 
> 
> I know this chapter was sorta cheesy bUT I SWEAR THEY'RE NOT IN LOVE (yet) KEITH JUST THINKS SHE'S REALLY ADORABLE AND KATIE JUST THINKS HE'S REALLY COOL AND THEY BOTH JUST REALLY NEEDS FRIENDS OKAY
> 
> huahuahua i already have ideas for the next chapter~ *insert meme about staying hydrated*


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love it when your ship grows closer but they're so darn o b l i v i o u s. Well I really don't blame them though.

Katie's eyes followed Keith as he helped himself to his third serving while the adults continued on with their conversation on work that day. Usually she would listen but the way he ate his food was so amusing to her, she couldn't help but watch snort inwardly as he tasted the flavors of the oh-so-heavenly masterpiece. She was glad her guest liked the casserole but if she didn't stop staring, her's would get cold.

After finishing their homework, Sam had came home and introduced himself to Keith. It might have been the fact that her father was speaking a million miles a second because he was overjoyed of meeting a potential student but Keith was so shocked, all he could do was stutter out his name and nod to all his questions. Shiro came soon after with a chocolate cake roll and the oven declared the casserole done. He beamed at Keith when he had learned that he helped made dinner. Instead of replying directly as Katie expected, Keith turned to her and gave a small smile.

Since then, that smile never left her mind. Why did he look at her?

Moving the food around on her plate, Katie began to furrow her brows. Here she was sitting next to Keith who by now seemed to have warmed up to her somewhat. When was the last time she had invited someone over? She couldn't remember and a part of her felt like she didn't want to. Doubts began slowly creeping into the edges of her mind; this all felt normal but it wasn't. She wasn't the type to have person used to having friends over for dinner or spending a whole afternoon just hanging out in her house.

Why did he agree to come? Was it because he had nothing better to do? Maybe he didn’t want to be here at all. Maybe Keith was just forcing himself to put up with her at her mom's or Shiro's request and all this friendly atmosphere was just her own imaginatio–

"Sweetie, are you okay?"

Katie looked up startled to her parents, Shiro, and Keith all staring at her. Colleen looked at the spoon her daughter was using to stir around her food then at her somber expression. She smiled warmly and passed her a napkin. "Why don't you take your plate up to the sink and grab the dessert?"

Quickly Katie nodded and quietly excused herself from the table, letting out a long sigh when she reached the kitchen sink. Why were these thoughts in her head now?

Keith had paused when Katie got up and left, well he didn't feel like eating anymore when she did. It was the first time he felt so stuffed. It was just so different eating at a table with others and tasting what you helped made with everyone, not to mention the exchange of funny glances across the table he shared with Katie as they silently commentated while listening to the adults talk was just as exciting.

But as soon as he saw Katie leave the table, he had an unsettling feeling form in his chest. Was she okay?

Katie felt footsteps coming from behind her as she placed out the little plates she grabbed from the cupboard and turned around to see who it was. There was an awkward silence as they stood facing each other, the awkward silence they had tried so hard to get rid of earlier that afternoon. "You could put your plate in the sink," she said as she walked away to go the fridge before Keith could get a word in.

Keith could only see her back from where he was standing; it was like she was telling him to go away. He placed his plate in the sink but waited for her to come back, not quite questioning why his feet was planted to the floor.

Realizing he wasn't going to leave, Katie closed the fridge and brought back the cake roll. Wordlessly she placed it on the counter. Just how long was he going to stay there and watch her?!  
  
"Do you need help?" he asked as he uncrossed his arms.

She glanced sideways as he called her by her name, not sure if she could answer confidently. "I'll be fine. Just–" But before he could finish, Katie felt the cake being lifted away from her grasp and she watched as the boy began cutting it into pieces. They fell quiet again; only the sound was the distant murmuring of the adults' chatter filled the air.

Katie grabbed side of her arm, inhaling a little. "You don't have to force yourself..."

Keith glanced at the girl standing motionless next to him. It looked like she was struggling with him here but also she was so still it made him frown. He didn't know what happened but he just hoped he wasn't the reason why her face was looking the way it was now. "I'm not. I want to help you. Plus, I'd rather be here. Unless you do want me to leave."  
  
"No! That's not what I meant!" Katie whipped around in panic. For a split second, they finally looked each other in the eyes since she left the table. "Thank you." She began placing the pieces he finished cutting onto the plates. As she placed the last piece, Keith cleared his throat and looked away shyly, making her mind freeze at the sight.

Hold on–

Her mind came back as he began to speak. "C-could I come over again...?" He looked at her so earnestly Katie felt her whole body stiffen and her breath being caught in her throat.

"Of course!" she said a little too loudly as she held the tray of cake rolls in her hands, ready to carry them out to the dining table. She wasn’t sure why he asked her but when he did; it was like she couldn’t contain her excitement. She felt like breathing a sigh of relief when he gave her a small grin and gave a slight gasp of surprise when he took the tray from her hands, still smiling.

Katie stood still for a second when he walked out of the kitchen, trying to calm whatever storm was in her heart. Too many things had happened in such a short time frame that she couldn't help hold a hand over her chest where her heart was. It was beating a little faster than usual and she only just realized how light-headed she was, like she just ran down a flight of stairs.

Shaking her thoughts away, Katie returned to the dining table and sat down as Keith placed down a plate of the cake roll in front of her then sat down beside her with his own. She giggled as she watched him pick up the fork to dig in then pointing at her piece with enthusiasm, signaling her to taste it as well and only went to take his second bite in contentment when she finally did.

Yeah. She could definitely get used to this.  
  
╌╌╌.✽°⋆.•'╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌  
  
"It might just be my imagination but is– is he smiling?"  
  
A few students turned around from where they were sitting and glanced up at the raven-haired boy in question from their lunch table. When Keith looked up from his book, they all jerked their heads back trying to act as inconspicuous as possible. The group all let out a sigh of relief when Keith went back to reading.  
  
"There is no way. This is Kogane we're talking about. But I guess you can say his brows aren't as furrowed as before..." A boy said has he tried to imitate what he thought Keith looked like in class most of the time.   
  
"Not to mention he was using this colorful mechanical pencil from this stationary store I know he would  _never_  walk into," the next student added.

Another nodded, "Also today he's been awake in most classes instead of dozing! What do you think is going on–"

"Shh shhh! I think he heard us!"  
  
Keith skipped his current song on his phone and flipped to the next page of the Garrison pamphlet; he actually didn't hear anything with his earbuds hidden under his hoodie and was more occupied with the paragraph on procedures for entrance exams than the conversation a few feet away from him. Grades were more important to him now especially since he wasn't planning on letting Shiro down, not when someone finally chose to believe in him. Having a goal besides just surviving high school was refreshing.

School lunch wasn't too bad but he was fine with only an apple, though he could already hear Katie scolding him for not taking care of himself better as he took another bite. In the few hours they spent together yesterday, it felt as if he'd already known her for years. In many ways they were different but also similar? He kept on coming back to it; the whole thing was unbelievable to him. That night when he went home, he spent the rest of it thinking about it as he laid in bed. It was too good to be true! Did he even deserve to know her? All his life people had treated him like a stranger but here she was, turning his life upside-down by dragging him along to decorate her house and playing 15 levels of Killerbot Phantasm. Why did he feel like it was so easy to trust her?

Keith had a faint memory of his father talking about cherishing the important people in life. Would it be okay if he cherished someone? Katie certainly cared for him to some extent. It was so hilarious when she was wishing him a good night's rest as he left the house then he commented on the traces of dark circles under her eyes, resulting in him being 'kicked out', with leftovers of course. Apparently he had no say in such matters. He chuckled at the memory. "Funny coming from a person who has an inconsistent sleep schedule."

He noticed the table of students staring at him and gave them a confused look.  
  
Hold on.  
  
Did he just say that out loud?  
  
A giggle from one of the girls confirmed it and he pulled the hood of his jacket down to cover more of his face. Ugh, maybe he was the sleep deprived one. Not wanting to be the subject of ridicule anymore, he tossed his things back into his backpack and swiftly walked away, his hands stuffed into his pockets on his way to his next class. How did he get so lost in his thoughts anyway? Keith checked his watch and sighed. Three more hours and then he could escape this place.

In his seat, Keith pulled out his notebook and the latest addition to his pencil case. It was a mechanical pencil with a soft, light blue grip. It was definitely different from his usual yellow 2B pencils but unbeknownst to anyone, it was the first present he had ever received from a friend. As he wrote the date on the page he smiled at the thought of going to Kate–

_Crap. He ran out of lead._

He looked around the classroom which was beginning to fill with students and watched as James sit down in his seat. Ever since the beginning of middle school, he had clearly expressed his disdain for his behavior and attitude overall but after the simulation tryouts that Shiro brought from the Garrison, he had strangely stopped taunting him and almost ignored him all together. While relieved that he no longer had to deal with James, Keith noticed he had been less... motivated in general. Ignoring his thoughts, Keith cleared his throat, catching the attention of the boy sitting down next to him.

"Do you have 0.5 lead? I ran out."  
  
James' eyes widened in surprise at Keith who he was sure wouldn't even choose him as the last person on earth to talk to. "Y-yeah. Hold on." Keith watched as he dug through his backpack and pulled out two pieces and handed it to him.  
  
"Two?" Keith looked at the lead and back at James.  
  
"We have a quiz today," he replied monotonously as he looked away, seemingly as to end the conversation.  
  
Not realizing what the boy was trying to do, Keith panicked silently as he searched through his head for a reply. "Uh, thanks. I'll pay you back next time." He began putting the lead into the pencil but was startled by James' short laugh.  
  
"You're acting really weird. Well you already are but it's a different weird," James pointed at him as Keith frowned a little.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You're..." Keith waited for him to say whatever insult he could come up with, probably something not anymore creative than 'emo' even though he really wasn't, "Talking differently. And more."  
  
Okay he wasn't expecting that. He had been making an effort to raise his hand in class more. Maybe James was more honest than he thought? "But I always talk like this."  
  
"Really? Guess I wouldn't know because you never talk to anybody at school. At all." James countered in disbelief, a bit of an accusatory tone laced into his words.   
  
Was this guy seriously going to go there? Then again, conversations with James always end up like this.

"That's because no one bothers to talk to me unless they want something from me or make fun of me," he said in a low voice. Just when Keith barely finished his sentence, the bell rang. Both of them turned around to face the front of the classroom. He was asking for lead, just lead! Not another argument. Or maybe he was that bad at communicating with other people, but he was at least trying! Keith decided to just forget the whole conversation, before he slammed his head against the desk in frustration, and focus on the quiz the teacher was handing out. Honestly, why did he even bother–

"Sorry."  
  
Wait, what?  
  
He turned around again to see where the apology came from. "Sorry for what?"  
  
James sighed as he received his quiz and waited for the teacher to walk away. "That was childish of me. I wasn't having the best day."

"Oh." Well, not that the explanation helped but Keith understood what he meant. Though why did he apologize? This was James; the top-of-the-class, always following the rules, and the one who all teachers see as mature and responsible. The complete opposite of him. And he was apologizing, to him of people? "But why are you–"

"Forget about it," he mumbled out quickly, ending the conversation and leaving Keith confused as ever.  
  
Not sure what else to say, he kept quiet.

The quiz was fairly easy; he did have plenty of time to study since he didn't have any after school activities or places to be. Well, there was one exception. Oh right, he would have to pick up Katie later today. Maybe he could text her to meet at the back entrance of the middle school so they didn't to go through the same fiasco again. Making a mental note contact her, he stopped upon realizing one fact.

Did he even have her number?

The whole class sat up and turned around in surprise at the sound of Keith scratching his head and groaning in frustration. He only realized his mistake when he noticed the teacher and the rest of his classmates giving him a strange look, as if he were a wild animal that escaped the zoo. Immediately he buried his head under his arms and resumed to his quiz. He wanted to  _scream_. Why was he so stupid?

  
Stupid, stupid, stupid–  
  
╌╌╌.✽°⋆.•'╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌  
  
Stupid, stupid, stupid–  
  
Still mentally bashing himself, he ran to his moped. After the last class had ended, he had packed up as fast as he could and sprinted all the way down to the first floor and out to the parking lot, not paying any attention to the stares he earned. If he got there earlier, maybe he could avoid the crowd. It only took a few seconds to reach the middle school but he made sure to park the moped a few blocks from the entrance as not to attract too many onlookers and pulled up his hood over his head. This should be discreet enough. He spotted Katie walking out from the entrance then looked around; everybody was minding their own business.

 

Perfect.

As Katie rounded the corner near the gate, she yelped at the sudden appearance of a hooded figure moving fast towards her and raised her umbrella in attack mode.

"Woah, woah, woah! It's just me!" The figure jerked back, his arms up in the air and staring very cautiously at her 'weapon'.

Katie watched the figure carefully take of his hood, revealing himself to be Keith, and felt her whole body relax. "Oh thank goodness; it's just you Keith." By now she had lowered her umbrella to a reasonable level, allowing Keith to put down his hands down as well.

"I can't believe I almost died by being beaten to death with a Keroppi-themed umbrella. At least I'll make it to the headlines with an interesting title," he laughed as he walked the sheepish Katie to the moped.

"Still better than 'hover bike' in my opinion," she shrugged as she climbed up onto the seat behind him and grabbed a helmet. "Speaking of which, how come you don't wear a helmet?" Katie stifled a laugh when she saw Keith look away in embarrassment. Now she was curious.

"Well," he began as he scratched the back of his neck, "I just really like the feeling of wind in my hair." His statement was followed by a burst of laughter. The light in Katie's eyes when she laughed made his stomach do flips and he felt a sudden stroke of dizziness; it was the weirdest sensation he had ever felt and he wasn't very sure why he didn't dislike it. The feeling left as soon as it came so he brushed it away and only returned her smile with a small grin of his own. "So yeah, no helmets for me."

"Still a safety hazard," Katie slightly tilted her head, giving him a look he guessed she learned from her mom which was the kind where they playfully nagged you.

Keith only rolled his eyes and got up on the seat and grabbed the handles. "Also says the person who tried wearing platform shoes on ladders."

"Also?" She lifted a brow at him.

"Nothing–" he said in a hurry as he started up the moped. What was up with him today?

"Uh huh," she teased while grabbing onto his jacket. "Oh, and my mom said to stop by the grocery store to get half and half."

"What on Earth is half and half–"  


She answered him, still slightly teasing. "I'll show you when we get there. It's for mini frittatas tonight! Absolutely delicious."

His confusion turned into a lopsided grin as he looked back at her. "Don't know what that is either but I'll take your word for it." She returned his grin with a messy smile of her own, trying not to burst into laughter again.They sped by the school gate before the majority of students started to walk out of the building, successfully evading any potential mobs.

The evening was already starting off great.

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure you take a break if you've been binging fics and stay hydrated kids~


End file.
